Democratic forces set up new army to fight Myanmar's junta

In what could spell the onset of a civil war in Myanmar, the National Unity Government (NUG) has announced the setting up of a ‘people defence force’ to militarily fight the General Min Aung Hlaing-led Junta that brought upon the February 1 coup, writes senior journalist Sanjib Kr Baruah

New Delhi: In a strong indication of the likelihood of violent times ahead for Myanmar, the National Unity Government (NUG), spearheading the pro-democracy movement and opposed to the rule by the Myanmar Army or the ‘Tatmadaw’ on Wednesday announced the setting up of a ‘people defence force’.

A statement by the NUG said the force has been formed to “to protect its supporters from military attacks and violence instigated by the junta” as it was responsible to combat the ‘Tatmadaw’ that was perpetrating attacks on the people.

The statement, also put out by the Twitter handle of the ‘Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw’ (CRPH), added that the ‘people defence force’ would be a precursor to setting up of a Federal Union Army and that the NUG would “make effective reforms in the security sector in order to terminate the 70 year long civil war.”

A decade year-old experiment with democracy came to a sudden end on February 1, 2021, when the ‘Tatmadaw’ led a coup after an electoral verdict in November 2020 overwhelmingly favoured the Aung San Suu Suu Kyi-led National Democratic League (NLD).

Read: Ethnic guerrillas in Myanmar say they shot down helicopter

The NLD had bagged 396 seats of the total 476, while the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) got just 33.

Myanmar has been a witness to incessant insurgencies led by the Ethnic Armed Outfits (EAO) where rebel ethnic groups including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Karen National Union (KNU), Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Shan State Army-North, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Arakan Army have been battling the Tatmadaw for long.

Meanwhile, about 759 people including pro-democracy activists, anti-regime protesters, bystanders and other civilians have lost their lives in the ‘Tatmadaw’s crackdown till now. Of the 4,561 people arrested since the coup, 3,508 are still currently detained or have been sentenced while 1,356 continue to evade the arrest warrant.

ETV Bharat had earlier on March 19 how the CRPH had sought military services of 10-20 able-bodied men from each village from across the country with the aim of forming a federal army to combat the ‘Tatmadaw’.

Read: 'Continue to insist on release of detained leaders & end to violence in Myanmar'